At the end of the desert...the Promised Land

No, my desert walk is not over. Actually, I can still see Egypt behind me quite clearly, so I know I have a long way to go yet. God is so good though. His mercies are new every morning. Something I have been learning over the last year is the fact that God doesn't give me grace for tomorrow, today. He only gives me grace for today. For this moment...for the cup He has given me to drink...now. If I think of tomorrow and I get worried or start to feel that anxious flutter I try to remember that I don't have grace for the maybes or "what-ifs" that are in the future. I only have grace enough for today. He wants me to persevere and He will do it in me as He promises, but only one day at a time as my limited sight can see it.

This weekend I was in Houston visiting family among other things. Thursday we went to see my granny. Friday we went to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Saturday we had a wedding, in which I sang and then Eli's cowboy birthday party that night. Sunday morning we went to Grace Family Baptist Church in Spring, Texas. Voddie Baucham is their pastor and he preached that morning. I have heard Voddie preach many times in past years and now it's odd that my parents are visiting his church (the reason for my parents leaving their church of the last 20 years is a very long story and one I won't go into here). Anyway, all of this detail to say that he preached a great sermon and Joshua chapter 6 was part of the theme. We read the whole chapter together and I was so struck by the theme of the chapter. God is giving Joshua instructions before they are about to go into Canaan (the promised land) to fight for the land God has given them. God tells Joshua over and over and over again "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid." How could they be afraid? God TOLD them that He would give them favor. He told them that He would hand the land over to them. All they had to do was follow exactly what God instructed them to do.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid." I started thinking about how relieved they must have been to know that they were at the end of their season of living in the desert. They were witnessing what God had promised them all along. He did what He said He would do. Did they ever dream it would take 40 years? Probably not! Did they think that things would happen in the way that they did? I'm sure they didn't. But that is not the point. The point is...God did exactly what He said He would do. He always keeps His promises. He is faithful. That is the theme of the story. That is the theme of our lives. We have no idea how God is working or when or with who sometimes, but we do know that He is good. He is faithful. His promises are as good as written in stone because they will come to pass.

So what does all this mean for us? As I was thinking about my present journey in light of this story I felt so encouraged. I don't know what the promised land looks like. I don't know how long it will take to get there. I don't know if there will be an "earthly" promised land or if I will have to wait for the ultimate...heaven itself. Either way, He will give me the grace to bear each day, each trial. He will help me take one more step in that dreaded sand and help me swallow one more day's helping of manna. He will help my heart be grateful for His blessings, for His provision and for saving me out of Egypt and from my rotten flesh.

He has ALWAYS been faithful. Always. He will continue to be. He IS all He says He IS. That is the theme. So... "Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid!"